GB2110296A

GB2110296A - Equipment for controlling the passage of animals

Info

Publication number: GB2110296A
Application number: GB08233560A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Arthur Macgregor Hawkins; Dennis Williams
Original assignee: Poldenvale Ltd
Current assignee: Poldenvale Ltd
Priority date: 1981-12-03
Filing date: 1982-11-24
Publication date: 1983-06-15

Abstract

A gate (10) is hinged at one edge to a post (12) by means of rings (14) which enable the gate also to rise and fall on the post, preferably aided by a roller (30) near the bottom edge of the gate bearing upon the post. A line (18) from the gate is connected to a counterweight (28) movable vertically inside the post, to facilitate lifting of the gate. The gate is useful in drafting sheep. When it is desired to release the sheep the gate can be lifted, and then swung around and lowered behind the sheep to urge them forward and to separate them from the following sheep. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Equipment for controlling the passage of animals This invention relates to equipment for controlling the passage of animals, and specially sheep during the process of drafting sheep through a race.

According to the present invention there is provided equipment for controlling the passage of animals, comprising a gate hinged at one side to a support post, the hinged connection allowing the gate independently of the hinging to travel up and down the post as well as hinge about it, a flexible line connecting the gate to a counterweight therefor via an upper part of the post over which the line passes and which allows the line to rotate about the axis of the post as the gate is swung.

The hinge preferably allows the gate to travel through 3600 about the post. For this purpose, a preferred arrangement for the hinge comprises a pairs of rings carried by the gate and freely encircling the post so as to retain the gate to the post while allowing it to peform the functions described above by virtue of the rings being freely rotatable with respect to the post and also freely movable up and down the post. The gate may also incorporate a roller bearing which bears rollably on the post to prevent the rings from frictionally binding against the post. Suitably, the roller bearing is provided at the bottom part of the gate between the side edge of the gate and the post, and the line is connected to a top part of the gate at a position spaced from its hinged side edge in the direction remote from the post.The counterweight is preferably located slidably inside the post, which is of tubular form. Suitably at the top of the post there is provided a bracket carrying a pulley around which the line is trained, the bracket being mounted to the top of the post rotatably about the axis of the post.

The equipment may comprise further components for use in association with the gate.

For example, a hurdle may be provided, arcuate plan, and extending from the closure post adjacent the free side edge of the gate when the gate is in the closed position, the hurdle being substantially located in a locus described by the free edge of the gate over a region of the gate's travel at ground level leading to the closure post.

Thus, while travelling at ground level throughout the said region the gate can prevent the passage of animals.

These and other advantageous features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of one embodiment of the invention which is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 shows a side view of the gate, Fig. 2 shows a detail of the lower bearing arrangement, Fig. 3 shows a detail of the top pulley arrangement, and Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of a typical sheep drafting arrangement using the equipment.

Referring to the drawings, and referring to Figs.

1 to 3; the gate 10 is suitably made from welded tubular steel bars, and is hinged at one side to a support post 12. The support post is of circular cross-section, and the gate is hinged to it by a pair of rings 14 welded to a side edge 16 of the gate and freely encircling the post. By this means the gate is retained on the post and can hinge about the post and also rise up and down it. A line 18, which is suitably a wire cable, is connected at one end to a point 20 on the top of the gate spaced somewhat from the hinged side 16. The line is trained around a pulley 22 which isjournalled in a bracket 24, the bracket being itself journalled in a bearing 26 mounted on the top of the post 12, so that the bracket can pivot about the axis of the post.The wire then extends down the inside of the tubular post, and is attached to a counterweight 28 for the gate which is located within the tubular post and freely slidable up and down it. Thus, the gate can be readily raised and lowered manually, and when it is hinged the bracket 24 will swing about its vertical pivot axis so that the line can follow the gate. To reduce the risk of the gate frictionally sticking, a small roller 30 is journalled in a bracket 32 carried at the bottom of the hinged side 16 of the gate, so that the roller, which is rotatable about a horizontal axis, bears against the post. This tends to keep the rings out of too firm engagement with the post, and reduces friction during vertical travel of the gate.

The free side edge 32 of the gate co-operates with a closure post 34, and can be locked to the post by means of a chain 36 which can be slipped over a curved bar 38 on the gate, the ba-r co- operating with the side edge member 33 of the gate to define a downwardly narrowing gap into which the chain falls and in which the chain is trapped.

The support post 12 and closure post 34 are conveniently rigidly interconnected at ground level by a bar 40. The two posts preferably have welded thereto eyelets 42 by means of which they can be detachably interconnected with adjacent members such as hurdles, using removable pins passing through the eyelets 42 and corresponding eyelets on the hurdles, in known manner. Thus, the whole unit is readily portable and adapted for incorporation into drafting systems of various kinds.

One such drafting system is shown in Fig. 4. A sheep drafting race 50 is formed from a pair of hurdles 52 spaced apart by about 18 inches. At the entrance to the race a funnel is provided by a pair of hurdles 54 which converge towards the entrance to the race from being about six foot apart at their other ends. These other ends are connected one to the support post 12 and the other to the closure post 34 of the gate equipment of the present invention. Thus, with the gate closed the sheep cannot enter the funnel leading to the race. On the other side of the gate when in the closed position a gather pen of suitable size and shape is constructed from hurdles 56, in known manner, two of the hurdles being connected one to the support post 12 and the other to the closure post 34.

In use, when it is desired to let sheep through into the race from the gathering pen, the chain 36 is detached and the gate can be removed from the path of the sheep by lifting it, as indicated by the arrow A. This can also be combined, if desired, by a greater or lesser degree of pivotal movement inwardly with respect to the funnel, as indicated by the arrow B. Thus, the gate does not have to be opened against the natural movement of the sheep, but can follow that movement or avoid it all together.Furthermore, by being freely hingeable through 3600 about the post 12, the operator can further hinge the gate in its raised condition following the arrow B, so that it reenters the gathering pen over the hurdle 56 which is connected to the support post 12, and can be then lowered to ground level, as indicated by the arrow C, and swung around at ground level, as indicated by the arrow D, to the closed position with respect to the post 34, still following the natural movement of the sheep. Thus, the movement of the gate at no time has to oppose the movement of the sheep, and by swinging it right around the post 12 it does not interfere with the operator, who would normally be standing inside the gathering pen or the funnel area.

A useful development of the equipment is also shown, in which a hurdle 58 is provided, which is arcuate in plan, extending through about quarter of a circle, and is connected at one end of the closure post 34, and is arranged so as to lie adjacent the locus described by the free edge 32 of the gate over its ground level travel D. This gives the operator a greater measure of control over the animals as the gate is brought into the closed position, and enables the operator more accurately to divide the sheep using the gate. The connection between the hurdle 58 and the post 34 is a hinged connection, by virtue of a removable pin, so that the precise positioning of the hurdle can be adjusted. Its free end can be secured by means of a post or pin past through the eyelets at the free end of the hurdle and driven into the ground.

Claims

Claims

1. Equipment for controlling the passage of animals, comprising a gate hinged at one side to a support post, the hinged connection allowing the gate independently of the hinging to travel up and down the post as well as hinge about it, a flexible line connecting the gate to a counterweight therefor via an upper part of the post over which the line passes and which allows the line to rotate about the axis of the post as the gate is swung.

2. Equipment according to claim 1 wherein the hinge allows the gate to travel through 3600 about the post.

3. Equipment according to claim 2 wherein the hinge comprises a pair of rings carried by the gate and freely encircling the post so as to retain the gate to the post while allowing it to perform the hinging and rising functions by virtue of the rings being freely rotatable with respect to the post and also freely movable up and down the post.

4. Equipment according to claim 3 wherein the gate also incorporates a roller bearing which bears rollably on the post to prevent the rings from frictionally binding against the post.

5. Equipment according to claim 4 wherein the roller bearing is provided at the bottom part of the gate between the side edge of the gate and the post, and the pine is connected to a top part of the gate at a position spaced from its hinged side edge in the direction remote from the post.

6. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the counterweight is located slidably inside the post, which is of tubular form.

7. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein at the top of the post there is provided a bracket carrying a pulley around which the line is trained, the bracket being mounted to the top of the post rotatably about the axis of the post.

9. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims including a hurdle, arcuate in plan, and extending from a closure post adjacent the free side edge of the gate when the gate is in the closed position, the hurdle being substantially located in a locus described by the free edge of the gate over the region of the gate's travel at ground level leading to the closure post.

10. Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims, substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.